1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the adaptation of golf shoes to improve the stance and balance of the golfer, and more particularly to a construction of golf shoes and insoles which prevents an improper shifting of weight of the golfer during a golf swing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been recognized that the ideal golf swing is a somewhat unnatural movement for the skeletal and muscular structure of human beings. Therefore, it is necessary for a golfer to train his muscles to move in exactly the right manner to obtain a proper swing which will cause the ball to be driven along a straight, intended path. A common problem is the tendency for the golfer's weight to shift to the toe areas during a swing as the weight shifts from the rear foot to the front foot. When a golfer departs from the proper swing, generally due to such improper shifts of weight, a hook, a slice, or other undesirable path of the ball will result.
Even when a golfer has perfected his swing and recognizes the motion and necessity for balance, attention to these details during a swing will frequently distract him from his concentration on the game. Conversely, concentrating on the game will often result in failure to pay attention to the details of balance and swing. Therefore, there is a long felt need for an aid for a golfer which will automatically cause him to maintain the correct stance during an entire swing such that he may put his entire attention and concentration on the game. Thus, the golfer would not have the distraction of attention to the physical actions in making the swing.
This problem has been recognized in the prior art and there have been a number of attempts to assist the golfer in this area. For example, Schlesinger, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,847,769 and 2,959,874 describes shoes which are claimed to assist the golfer in maintaining a proper stance. These patents assume that the weight is to be back toward the heels and therefore teach shoes which slope downwardly to the heel region and are in an inward downwardly convergent relationship. This causes the entire weight to be transposed back through the heel region. However, most golfing authorities consider that only about 40% of the golfers weight should be on the heel and 60% on the ball of the foot area. Therefore, it is believed that the Schlesinger devices do not provide the optimum result. O'Brien, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,218,734; 4,081,918; and 4,118,034, teaches various types of wedges which are temporarily attached to a shoe in the instep area or forward slightly in the sole area. He teaches the use of this device only on the rear foot. Such devices have the disadvantage that they must be removed while walking and result in considerable distraction to the player. Furthermore, these devices would not produce the proper heel and sole weight distribution discussed above. French Pat. No. 1,141,593 to Carrier shows a pair of golf shoes having what appears to be a uniform wedge running the entire length of the shoes with the left shoe having a thicker wedge than the right shoe. Again, this arrangement would not produce the desired weight distribution.
It is apparent that the prior art has not solved the problem since none of these prior art patents appear to have achieved commercial success. I have researched the available golfing equipment and find none of these devices in general use.